- History of Tobacco Smoking -
The Origin of Tobacco Use

The history of tobacco smoking as a social and recreational activity may lie within the shores of the North American continent.

An examination of the facts about tobacco use indicate the indigenous people who met the explorers were already familiar with the nicotiana tabacum plant, and it was a highly valued commodity in their society.

The historical cigarette smoking facts show the paper wrapped tobacco rod as a relatively recent invention, following the use of tobacco in pipes, cigars, and hand rolled cigarettes.

History of Tobacco Discovery in the New World

All North American children learn the verse "In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue."

That momentous landing changed much about what Europeans knew about the geography of the world. The discovery of the "new world" was also the origin of how tobacco was introduced to European society.

History of Tobacco
Facts About the "Discovery" of Tobacco in the "New World"

Columbus did not really discover a new world as there were well established societies already living on the North American continent.

It turns out that these indigenous peoples were familiar with the tobacco plant and used it ceremoniously.

15 Century

In 1493 Ramone Pane accompanied Columbus on his second voyage and wrote extensively of how the indigenous people used the tobacco plant for "smoking". He is usually given the credit for origin of tobacco use in Europe so we can surmise he took some of the big brown leaves back with him on the return voyage and showed people how to use them.

16th Century

During the 1500's tobacco use was spread around the world by sailors and overland travellers.

Botanists started to study and draw the plant and chemists and doctors studied the effects of tobacco for its medicinal potential.

By the late 1500's and into the early 1600's tobacco use became more common in many societies and was usually smoked through a pipe.

Cigars were the first "rolled" tobacco product. Unlike a cigarette a cigar is crushed tobacco that is rolled into a whole tobacco leaf so the entire product is tobacco.

Because of the addictive tobacco effects demand for the product increased, so more ways to smoke it were invented.

The cigarette became more popular in the 1800's but you had to roll your own which meant carrying tobacco in a pouch and you had to have the papers as well.

Finally modern manufacturing methods created the paper cigarette rod that could be packaged and carried around so that a nicotine hit was always available.

The historical cigarette smoking facts show that once the cigarette was being mass produced, cigarette manufacturing companies engaged in marketing efforts designed to convince the public that this was an enjoyable harmless social activity.

Their marketing efforts and the addictive effects of tobacco resulted in an increase in the sales of cigarettes and consequently their profits grew as well.

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